An Englishman of forty years residence in Wales pontificates about politics (slightly off-message), films and trivia. Secretary of Aberavon and Neath Liberal Democrats. Candidate for Neath in the Westminster elections of 1997 & 2017 and the Welsh general election of 2016.

Thursday, 3 April 2008

Dangers of mobile phones

Dr Vini G Khurana, a fellow of the Australasian college of neurosurgeons, has published a report which purports to show that "there is a growing and statistically significant body of evidence reporting that brain tumours such as vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) and astrocytoma are associated with 'heavy' and 'prolonged' mobile phone use, particularly on the same side as the 'preferred ear' for telephony".

The silicon.com news item concludesWhile there is still no proven link between cancer and exposure to electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone use, Khurana said the growing body of evidence is cause for concern. Children's use of mobiles is particularly worrying, he claims, suggesting kids' use of mobiles should be restricted to emergency situations only.

This last was also the recommendation of the Stewart inquiry into mobile phones.

N.B. This is not an argument against mobile phone masts, rather for an increase in the number of masts. This would tend to reduce the power of transmissions from mobile handsets and thus the effect on the user. One of the most marked increases in acoustic neuromas associated with mobile phone use was reported from Finland, where the distance between masts is greater than average. (It has to be admitted that the numbers involved, as with so many mobile phone studies, are small, statistically speaking.)

There can be good reasons for objecting to masts in residential areas - ugliness being prime - but safety is a vanishingly small one.